Improvement in can-openers



W. THOMAS.

Can-Openers.

Patented Nov. 26 1872.

AMPHOTO-LITHL E/MPMC CUJIXKGSEG WES FF UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER THOMAS, OF GENESEO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAN-OPENERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 133,500, dated November 26, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER THOMAS, of Geneseo, in the county of Henry and in the State of Illinois have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can-Openers and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device as used for opening fiat oyster-cans; Fig. 2 is a like view of said device as used for opening fruit-cans; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the knife and its operating-lever; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a can after its top has been cut-upon one side.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

The object of my invention is to enable sheet-metal cans used for packing or preserving fruits, oysters, &c., to be easily and quickly opened; and it consists, principally, in the peculiar construction of the cutters and their relative arrangement within the operating-lever, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified. It consists, further, in the combination of the operating-lever and supporting-frame, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown. It consists, finally, in the device as a whole, when its several parts are constructed and combined substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

In the annexed drawing, A represents the base of the device, from or just within the sides of which extend upward in parallel lines two standards, B, that have the form shown, and are connected together at one end by means of an intervening strip, 0, which extends horizontally between said standards and from said base to a point slightly above their vertical centers. Transversely and from front to rear the space between the standards B is suflicient to freely admit and contain an ordinary rectangular oyster-can, D, while vertically said space extends above said can some two inches. Pivoted at one end, to or within the forward sides and near the upper ends of the standards B, is a lever, E, which has a width corresponding to the space between the same, andis provided upon its lower side with three cuttin g-blades, F and F, two of which, F, are arranged longitudinally and in parallel lines, while the third, F, extends between the ends of and at a right angle to the former. The parallel cutters F, at their forward ends, have a width of about one and one-half inch, and from thence incline upward and rearward until their rear ends have a width of but about half of an inch. The cross-cutter F has a width, vertically, of about one inch, and from its longitudinal center inclines outward and upward, as shown, so as to form dagger-shaped cutting-edges.

As thus constructed the lever is turned downward so as to bring the cutters in contact with the can, when, by a steady down-' ward-pressure, the forward ends of the cutters F are forced through the metal, and after they have cut slits of about one inch in length the cutter F impinges and is readily forced through said metal. By pressing the lever downward until it rests upon the can the cutters will have divided the metal upon three sides of a parallelogram, as seen in Fig. 4, when, by reversing the position of said can and repeating the cutting operation, a rectangular piece of metal, shown by dotted lines, will be cut from the same and a corresponding opening formed.

For use in opening fruit-cans which have a less height than those used for packing oysters the lever E is removed from between the uprights, reversed longitudinally, and again pivoted ata lower point. The cam G isnow placed upon the extended base A and operated upon as before described.

Owing to the peculiar construction of the cutters but slight force is requiredto force them through the metal, while the opening formed is cleanly cut, and the usual difficulty experienced from ragged edges and chips of tin is avoided.

As a whole, the device is simple in construction, eflicient in operation, not liable to get out of order, and can be furnished at a comparatively low cost.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits of my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. The longitudinal cutters F and transverse cutters F, having the forms shown, and relatively arranged within the lever E so as to cause said longitudinal cutters to partially complete their operation before said transverse cutter pierces the -metal of the can, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The standards B and apivoted reversible cutter-lever, when constructed as shown and combineduith each other andwit-h the base A, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The device as a whole, consisting of the base A, standards 13, pivoted lever E, and cutters F and F, when said. parts are arranged to operate substantially as and for the pur pose shown.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 211 day of N ovember, 1872.

WALTER THOMAS.

Witnesses:

THOMAS 1%. Resume, SAMUEL T. STEELE. 

